Overview

Niobium (also known as columbium) is a shiny, ductile metal primarily used in alloys. It improves the properties of steel and is often used in gas pipelines, jet engines and structural applications. Because of its corrosion resistance and ability to perform at high temperatures, niobium metal plates, rods and sheets are used in sputtering targets and chemical processing equipment. At extremely low temperatures, it becomes superconductive. Superconductive niobium wire is used to make extremely powerful electromagnets used in magnetic resonance imagery and particle accelerators.

Properties

Technical Properties

of Niobium

Niobium Metal Properties

 Melting pointBoiling pointDensity Heat of fusionMolar heat capacityElectrical resistivityMagnetic ordering
Niobium2750 K ​(2477 °C, ​4491 °F)5017 K ​(4744 °C, ​8571 °F)8.57 g/cm330 kJ/mol24.60 J/(mol·K)152 nΩ·m (at 0 °C)paramagnetic
Molybdenum 2896 K ​(2623 °C, ​4753 °F)4912 K ​(4639 °C, ​8382 °F)10.28 g/cm337.48 kJ/mol24.06 J/(mol·K)53.4 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)paramagnetic[4]
Titanium1941 K ​(1668 °C, ​3034 °F)3560 K ​(3287 °C, ​5949 °F)4.506 g/cm314.15 kJ/molxx420 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)paramagnetic
Zirconium2128 K ​(1855 °C, ​3371 °F)4650 K ​(4377 °C, ​7911 °F)6.52 g/cm314 kJ/mo25.36 J/(mol·K)421 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)paramagnetic[3]
Constantan1210 °C
Nickel1728 K ​(1455 °C, ​2651 °F)3003 K ​(2730 °C, ​4946 °F)8.908 g/cm317.48 kJ/mol26.07 J/(mol·K)69.3 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)ferromagnetic
Alumel1399 °Cxx8.61 g cm−3xxxxxxxx
Chromel1420 °C8.5 g cm−3xx0.706 µΩ mxx
Invar 361427°C, 2600°Fxx8055g cm 0.291xxxx495 ohm-cir mil/ftxx
Rhenium3459 K ​(3186 °C, ​5767 °F)5903 K ​(5630 °C, ​10,170 °F)21.02 g/cm360.43 kJ/mol25.48 J/(mol·K)193 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)paramagnetic[2]
Tantalum3290 K ​(3017 °C, ​5463 °F)5731 K ​(5458 °C, ​9856 °F)16.69 g/cm336.57 kJ/mol25.36 J/(mol·K)131 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)paramagnetic[3]
Tungsten3695 K ​(3422 °C, ​6192 °F)6203 K ​(5930 °C, ​10706 °F)19.3 g/cm352.31 kJ/mol[3][4]24.27 J/(mol·K)52.8 nΩ·m (at 20 °Cparamagnetic[5]
Kovar1450 °C / 2640 °F8.35 g /cm300.49 Ω mm2 /cm
MuMetal2642°F [1450°C]xx 0.316 lb/in³ [8.74g/cm³]xxxx 60 μΩ​cmxx
Industries

Industries

That Commonly Use Niobium

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